Project Investigates Lightning's Impact On Climate Change

EARTH OBSERVATION

Nitric oxide is a greenhouse gas that produces or destroys ozone in the lower atmosphere, depending on the amount of nitric oxide present. Lightning-produced nitric oxide is the least well understood source of the gas in the atmosphere.

Rapid City SD (SPX) Sep 23, 2004
A three-year, $300,000 research project at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology will help scientists better understand the impact of lightning on global climate change.

The study, funded by NASA, will examine the nitric oxide produced by lightning. Nitric oxide is a greenhouse gas that produces or destroys ozone in the lower atmosphere, depending on the amount of nitric oxide present. Lightning-produced nitric oxide is the least well understood source of the gas in the atmosphere.

The simulations produced at South Dakota Tech should help decrease the uncertainty associated with lightning-produced nitric oxide. Dr. John Helsdon, a professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences, and Richard Farley, a research scientist in the department, are conducting the research. The project runs through March 2007.

"Since global climate change and ozone budgets are a worldwide problem, our research will help in obtaining more accurate predictions of climate change and ozone concentrations on a global basis," Helsdon said.

"As a result, decision making that depends on accurate global climate estimates and ozone budgets will be positively affected by the research."

Helsdon and Farley are using Tech's three-dimensional Storm Electrification Model to investigate nitric oxide production. The lightning scheme in the models is based on physical principles, and accounts for the production of nitric oxide through the calculation of the energy dissipated by lightning flashes.

The model calculates the amount of nitric oxide produced along each lightning channel and distributes it according to the channel geometry and the storm wind flow. The Storm Electrification Model also explores the ultimate influence of lightning on atmospheric ozone.

"Ours is the only model in the world that explicitly treats the production of nitric oxide by lightning because we have a lightning scheme in the Storm Electrification Model that develops actual lightning channel paths," Helsdon said.

"Since the production of nitric oxide depends on the energy change due to lightning, we can calculate the production rate along the channel and place nitric oxide in realistic quantities and locations within the modeled thunderstorm.

"If global and regional climate change estimates can be improved because of our research, then local, regional, and national economic decision making processes will be impacted and improved."

EARTH OBSERVATION

Researchers Discover 'Hole' In Global Warming Predictions

St Louis MO (SPX) Sep 22, 2004
In the future, global warming might not be as severe in the central United States as in other parts of the country, according to scientists at Saint Louis University and Iowa State University (ISU).

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.